Democratic primary vote plagued by doubt as Ohio postpones vote
● Poll workers told to improvise cordon ● Most high-profile delay since 9/11
The Democratic presidential primary is consumed with uncertainty after leaders in Ohio called off yesterday’s election just hours before polls were set to open, citing the need to combat the new coronavirus.
Officials in Florida, Arizona and Illinois said they would move forward with the vote. But by early yesterday morning, the virus was hurting people’s efforts to get to the polls.
Some Florida polling places could not open as poll workers did not arrive because of fears over the potentially deadly virus. The Palm Beach County elections department said many workers failed to show up in at least five locations. The county had 800 volunteers back out as of Monday, with just 100 new volunteers offering to take their places.
In Illinois, Cook County Clerk Karen A Yarbrough took to Twitter yesterday morning to encourage poll workers to mark space on the floor at polling sites to keep voters a safe distance apart and avoid spreading the virus.
The tweet included a photo of a roll of blue tape, a piece of string and a tape measure along with a note that concludes: “THIS PICTURE CAN SAVE LIVES.”
Ms Yarbrough said: “I’m just hopeful that we’ll have a good day voting for the people.” Not since New York City postponed its mayoral primary on the day of the 11 September 2001 attacks has an election been pushed off in such a high-profile, far-reaching way.
Ohiogovernormikedewine initially asked a court to delay the vote. When a judge refused to do so, the state’s health director declared a health emergency that would prevent the polls from opening.
The decision was a reminder the most elemental act of American democracy – voting – was due to be severely tested last night as several states held presidential primaries while also confronting the impact of a global pandemic.
The contests are playing out as the virus’s impact becomes more tangible with schools closing across the country, workers staying home and restaurants and bars shuttering.
The US stock market on Monday plunged to its worst day in more than three decades. The rapidly shifting developments amounted to a kind of chaos rarely seen in an election season.
And it may not end soon as some states that have presidential contests in coming weeks have already moved to postpone them.
Common Cause New York – a 60,000-strong good government organisation – is urging the delay of that state’s 2020 presidential primary from 28 April to 23 June.